


Beauty of a Different Kind

by Reflection_of_a_Broken_Dream



Category: House of Wax (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Gore, Scars, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:01:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29599377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reflection_of_a_Broken_Dream/pseuds/Reflection_of_a_Broken_Dream
Summary: Vincent Sinclair/Long Haired Female ReaderSet in an AU universe where people find their soulmates by the scarring they share.You weren't born with scars on your face. They appeared a few days after, and you were hospitalized for a while afterwards. But you lived, and so, too, did your soulmate. Fast forward nearly thirty years later, and you still haven't found your soulmate. You'd think it'd be easy to find someone else as scarred up as you were, but it wasn't so. At the very least, your talents as a musician were finally being noticed! On a trip to Tennessee to perform in an opera, you just so happen to stop by a tiny town out in the woods, a town by the name of Ambrose. Little do you know that your life is most definitely about to change...just not in a way you ever dreamed it would...
Relationships: Vincent Sinclair/You
Comments: 12
Kudos: 25





	Beauty of a Different Kind

**Beauty of a Different Kind**

**Vincent Sinclair/Long-Haired Female Reader**

**Scar Soulmate AU**

\- Soulmates are found via matching scars on their soulmate's bodies.

\- This was heavily inspired by Slashermom after I read her Bo Soulmate AU on Tumblr. I had to wonder...Vince has a  _ lot  _ of scarring on his face, and his Soulmate would, too. What would come of that?

\- I'm sorry I haven't written in a while. I am in a depression, and I'm finding it almost impossible to write. This was an experiment to see if I could get back on the wagon, and it's just evolved. I apologize if it's not the best quality. I'm trying to shake the cobwebs from my brain. It shouldn't be more than three parts long.

There is a link to a YouTube video for music in this fic. I DO NOT OWN THAT MUSIC IN ANY WAY!!! Peter Gundry composed that song and it belongs to him. Go check out his YouTube, it's really cool!

[23Alchemist23](https://youtube.com/c/23Alchemist23)

**Part 1 of ?**

**!!Warning!!**

Cruel words, shame, heavy scarring, language, kissing, anger, mention of surgery, speculation of abuse, flirting, wax figures, depreciation, health issues, eye sockets, mention of depression, mention of suicide, mention of mental and physical health issues, mention of orphans, rough pasts, melancholic music, tears, light Daddy Bo, fear, lies, injury.

____________________________________________________

"Freak," a teenager popped off as he passed with a snicker. You quickly threaded your fingers through your long hair and pulled forwards, trying to cover the massive scars etched into the right side of your face. Picking up your pace, you caught up with your friend at the front of the store.

"We 'bout done here?" You asked with a thin smile, a bottle of water in your left hand.

"Yeah, the guys jus' headed back to the car...are you a'right?" Jenna asked, concern creasing her brow.

"I'm fine...I just... _ really _ want ta head out," you replied. Realization dawned in her pretty tawny eyes...and then hellfire followed.

"Who said shit 'bout your face, huh? Was it that older guy? Or one a them shifty-lookin' teens?"

"It doe'n't matter," you waved off, grabbing her Poweraid and Doritos and slipping off to the front counter. 

"Hey!"

"It's  _ my _ turn to pay fer snacks," you responded in a sing-song voice as the cashier rung the items up. You'd given the guys money ahead of time, knowing they'd be a quick in-and-out. You could tell she wasn't satisfied, but without knowing who said something, she couldn't act. Jenna slunk behind you and put her chin on your shoulder as you payed for the goods.

"Thanks, babe," she huffed, giving you a light squeeze from behind before picking up her snacks.

"No probl'm," you easily waved off. It would be Tim's turn next...you guys still had a  _ long _ way to go. Grabbing your water, you followed Jenna back to the little blue Toyota. Jen took shotgun up front with Noah, her boyfriend, and you settled in the back with Tim.

"Hey babe," Jenna kissed Noah full out on the lips as he held up a map.

"Mm, hey," he grinned. "We found a shortcut through here...so whaddya say about takin' it?" He pointed to a road on the map. It went through some dense woods. No civilization for  _ miles… _

"Fine by me," Jen shrugged.

"Y/N?"

"Yeah...I'm game," you agreed even though you felt a little… _ nervous _ about it. Like something might happen… But it was better than being around a bunch of people, right? No one to stare at your face and call you names…

"Great!" Noah grinned that charming lopsided grin of his before cranking up and pulling out. "We're on tha road ag'in, then!" He navigated through the small town, the four of you munching away on your food or sipping your drinks.

"So, um, Y/N…," Tim started, and you peered over at the nervous man. He was looking down at the bottle of Coke in his hand. "I...I don't mean ta pry or anythin'...but...those scars on yer face… How'd you get 'em?" He finally looked up at you, no sort of malice about him. Just hesitant curiosity gleaming in his cobalt eyes.

"Tiiiiiimmmm," Jen sighed.

"Tim, I don't think-" Noah started.

"No, it's a'right," you shrugged, capping your water. He was fairly new to your little group of friends, so he didn't know. And your scars...weren't exactly the average kind. "He doesn' know...and I'd rather askin' to people runnin' 'round callin' me a freak."

"I  _ knew _ it was those teens!" Jen hissed.

"What?"

"Let it go, Jen," you crooned as soothingly as you could. "We're already a while away from 'em."

"...Ugh, fine!" she groaned, turning to Noah to explain. "Some li'l teenie weenies in tha store called Y/N a freak. Nothin' I can do 'bout it now…" You could see her pouting in the reflection of the windshield. Warmth bubbled up along with a chuckle from your chest. She really  _ was _ the awesomest best friend you could have ever had.

"So, Tim," you cleared your voice and turned back to the lean guy seated next to you. "I, um...I was born without any scars or anythin'. I was fine. My momma says a few days afta, though…it was like mah face was bein' carved inta. She rushed me to tha hospital...I was put in ICU  _ immediat'ly _ . ...'Pparently...somethin' was happenin' to my soulmate." You gingerly ran your fingers along the bottom edge of the deep scarring etched into the right side of your face, around your chin. "They, um...they kep' me as sedated as they could. On IV for both food and wata…fer  _ days _ ... The, ah, the actual carvin' lasted 'bout an hour. It was so deep 'round my eye they couldn' find a way to keep it in...so they made the diff'cult decision to remove it." A deep hole still remained… "They did what they could. I'm still 'live."

"Tha's def'nitely a good thing," Tim smiled up at you. "But, um…what about your soulmate?"

"He made it out 'live, too."

"Wha...have you met him, then? I've never seen...uh…," Tim tapered off awkwardly, gesturing to his face.

"No...not yet," you admitted softly with a little smile. "But I get new scars ev'ry once ina while, so...I know he's still 'live an' kickin'." Your newest one was a month old, in fact. A little laceration on your right side, a bit above your belly button. It was scabbed over and just about healed.

"That's cool," he smiled in full again. "Did they eva fig're out what... _ happened?" _

"No, actu'lly," your head canted to the side a bit. "They ruled out an acc'dent 'cause the cuttin' lasted an hour. Coulda been a psycho with a knife, an upset nanny, a parent that didn' wanna be a parent...a jealous or disturbed older child...we really don' know. There're  _ so many _ possibilities… An' they put outta search for kids with injuries like mine all ova the U.S….but none matched up. They neva found him."

"Meanin', he's prob'ly overseas," Jen interjected.

"Or he was neva taken to a hospital," you shot off your own theory. "Indicatin' either onea his parents was a doctor or abusive...or both."

"Watch it be nonea  _ anythin' _ y'all've come up with," Noah chuckled. "C'mon, loosen up. You'll find 'im one day, Y/N. And then you'll know the  _ real _ story. 'Til then...let's have some fun! Celebrate yo 'ccomplishment!"

"It's not ev'ryday someone gets a record deal," Tim agreed, grinning at you. "And immed'tely gets asked to preform inan  _ opera _ ."

"Yeah...still  _ really _ nervous 'bout that," you let out an anxious chuckle, wringing your hands together. You had worked your calloused hands to the bone making music with both a piano and a violin...and it  _ finally _ paid off. You got a record deal and an immediate release of an original song you'd composed, along with an offer to play violin in an established opera house up in Tennessee. That's where you all were headed on this road trip. You'd gotten three extra tickets to invite whoever you'd wanted. 

"Don't be!" Jen laughed. "You got this, girl! Jus' sit back and rest them hands, and enjoy the company!" You all laughed at that, and the atmosphere eased up all at once. You set thoughts of your soulmate aside as the car passed into the woods, the four of you goofing off and playing all kinds of ridiculous games to pass the time. It was late afternoon when the car passed a sign.

"Did that say 'Ambrose'?" Tim asked, Jen scanning the map.

"It's...not here," she shook her head. "Mus' be onea those tiny towns in the middlea nowhere. They don' put those on the map anymore."

"Ah, well...we could use a top up on gas to get outta the woods," Noah groaned as he stretched out in his seat. "Get some snacks.  _ Real _ food if they got it…"

"I'd  _ kill _ for a hamburger right 'bout now," Tim sighed, his stomach growling.

"Mmhmm," you agreed, feeling yours start to gurgle. You'd brought a little bag of snacks, but it just wasn't the same as a full-on meal.

"The tiny town a Ambrose!" Noah announced as the car passed from forest into the small sprawling town.

"Gas station!" Jen pointed out almost immediately. The road just went right on through...you could see the woods engulfing the road again. Blink twice and you'd miss the town...but it looked like there was more to it than what you could immediately see… Noah pulled into the gas station and killed the ignition.

"Awright! Everybody out! Stretch yo legs!" Noah announced, unbuckling and getting out. Jen was the next one out, and you and Tim got out at about the same time. You couldn't stop your eye from roaming over the different buildings and houses. What a quaint, quiet little town...

"Gettin' gas?" A new baritone echoed from nearby. You carefully pulled hair down over the right side of your face before turning to face the man. He was coming down from the mechanic area of the shop, wiping his greasy hands on a blue towel.

"Yeah, we needa top up 'fore we head out," Noah called back with a big friendly smile. "There any places to eat 'round here?"

"Ah...nah, sorry. All we got left is that wax museum up there on tha hill," he pointed somewhere behind you all. Your eye followed where he was pointing, finding a big building semi-close. It was beige with green-blue windows, and it was a bit run-down looking...but it definitely looked like a museum or a library or something like that.

"Oh, that's cool," Tim commented, a hint of excitement in his tone. You had to agree- you found art in any form to be fascinating… You'd tried your hand at other arts, but you just weren't any good at it. Music was the  _ only _ art you could perform.

"Is it open?" You asked softly, fingers twining with your hair. You were trying to keep a good amount across the right side of your face…

"What was that, darlin'?" The man asked, and you felt a little giddy beneath his gaze. Even on the far side of the car from him as you were. He was  _ such _ a handsome guy…

"I-I, um...is, is the museum open?" You asked again, a little louder. "I really...I  _ love _ art. I wish ah could sculpt an' stuff like some can. It's really cool."

"But...you can play piano an' violin," Tim pointed out.

"But I can't draw or paint or sculpt or anythin' like that, an' I really admire the people who  _ can." _

"Tell you what," the man pulled the nozzle from the gas tank. "That museum ain't been open in  _ years _ ...but I got a key." You very nearly got whiplash from the disappointment turned to excitement in the span of just a few seconds. "Le's settle out the gas, and I'll take whoever wants to go up there."

"Thank you, sir!" You beamed, excited to see what sort of exhibits they had. The man tipped his hat and turned to Noah, the men talking out price and payment. "You gonna come, Jen?"

"No way, josei!" She shook her head. "You know dolls 'n stuff gimme the creeps… Lifesize wax dummies ain't no better."

"Alright," you gave her a knowing little smile. Her fear stemmed from a movie her dad made her watch at four...she couldn't stand dolls of  _ any _ type. So…you kinda figured that would be her answer. But you didn't want to go alone, either...

"I'll come," Tim offered up, a little bit too eagerly. "I mean...I  _ love _ this kinda stuff." He shot you an excited little grin that had you grinning right back at him.

"I'm staying with Jen, but you kids have fun," Noah bid, handing some money off to the man.

"Thanks," Tim laughed, patting him on the back as he and Jen got back in the car.

"Awright...who've I got the pleasure of tourin', then?" The man clapped his hands as he motioned for Tim to move forward so he could.

"I'm Tim," he introduced himself as he moved far enough up that the man could come around to the back of the vehicle. You met them there.

"And I'm Y/N," you introduced yourself. "It's nice meetin' ya."

"The pleasure is  _ all mine," _ he gave you such a charming smile it sent your heart throbbing. "My name's Bo, by the way. I'm the resident mechanic."

"Sounds like a fun job," you commented as he waved his hand and you all began walking towards the wax museum. Tim was farthest right, you were on the left, and Bo was in the middle. And you were very self-conscious, keeping thick bits of hair carefully covering the right side of your face. You didn't want Bo looking at you like almost everyone else did…

"Mmm...can be," he hummed, sidling in a little closer. You nibbled your bottom lip as you smiled up at the handsome man. "'Specially if you don't mind gettin' a little  _ dirty." _ There was a certain lilt to the way he said 'dirty', and a look in his eyes that had your cheeks flaming as you looked away bashfully. No man had  _ ever _ talked to you like this before...like you were... _ attractive _ . 

"Oh-kay, so, um, what do you do for fun 'round here?" Tim broke in, much to your relief. If Bo kept staring at you like that, your heart might leap right out of your chest!

"I build stuff, when I got the parts," Bo answered nonchalantly. "I've built cars and trucks damn near from the ground up."

"Tha's  _ really _ impressive," you couldn't help but gush, admiring his talent.

"E'rybody's got their skills, things they're good at," he shrugged the praise off. "I believe Tim here said you can play piana an' violin?" You nodded. Carefully, so your hair didn't splay from your face. " _ I _ think  _ that's _ pretty 'mpressive. Artsy skills are  _ def'nitely _ not my forte."

"You build vehicles startin' with  _ pieces _ ...tha's an art form all its own," you gently nudged him in the side when he sidled a little too close. 

"Ya reckon?" He shot you a funny little grin that had your heart fluttering.

"I surely do," you sent him a nice warm smile.

"Well, now, if  _ you _ say it, it  _ mus' _ be true!" He chuckled, fishing a ring of keys from his pocket.

"And I do," you stood by your words with a smile so wide it hurt your face. No guy had  _ ever _ made you feel this way before… Maybe he'd end up your soulmate in some weird, twisted way...it was a nice thought, anyway.

"Here we go," he got a specific key out and quickly got ahead of you to unlock the door. Tim shot you a funny look and a frown. What? You weren't allowed to carry on a kinda flirty conversation with a man? 

_ 'Come on...this kind of thing doesn't happen everyday. Just let me enjoy it,' _ you silently pled, eyes drawn back to the old door when you heard Bo opening up the museum. The door groaned as it opened, Bo half disappearing into the dark a moment. There was a click and the lights came on.

"Welcome to Ambrose's famous wax museum- House of Wax!" He introduced with an exaggerated flourish, waving the two of you in. You didn't think twice at the invitation, wandering into the building curiously with Tim hot on your heels. The dust was what you noticed first, built up here and there, unsettling with the stir of fresh air into the stagnant. It was musty...and this was  _ not _ good for the bad side of your face. What if you got a bunch of dust in your eye socket? You could get an infection… You covered your mouth as you coughed.

"Nobody's been here in a  _ while _ , huh?" Tim asked, wandering on ahead of you. At the very least, the details were impressive. Taking a couple more steps in, you eyed the bartender wax figure to your right, stationed in a bar. A little beyond that was a wax couple dancing…and on the left was a more intimate scene of a couple flirting on a fancy red-upholstered couch. It almost looked like a lounge, a couple of chairs seated around it along with a coffee table and a console table behind the couch. Slightly beyond that was a stairwell with a chain blocking it off.

"It was pretty much abandoned once the woman who made all this passed," Bo nodded. Something caught you attention. Reaching out and running your fingers through the dust over the bar, you realized…

_ "Everything _ is wax," you gasped. "The furniture and the people…"

"The building's made of it, too," Bo shocked you. The  _ whole building?! _ Wow! You gazed around in awe. The floor, the ceiling, the stairs, the  _ windows! That  _ was dedication! And probably a _ hell  _ of a lot of hard work! You couldn't even imagine how she did it all...

"That's amazing…," you breathed out, rubbing the dust off onto your jeans and moving close enough to the bartend to take in his details. None of these people looked like celebrities, as you kind of figured they would have been, but they had unique personalities and character...

"It  _ is _ pretty neat," Bo commented. "Trudy's the lady who made all a this, an' put Ambrose on the map back in its hayday. It'sa shame she developed a cist in her brain...she 'ventually couldn't use her hands anymore an' went mad 'cause of it. Trudy's husband, doctor Sinclair, had a strap her down ta the bed...but he couldn't save 'er. They were soulmates, ya know? And it's causea  _ that _ he blew his brains out." You turned back to Bo with a wide eye, the man motioning to his mouth with his fingers like they were a gun. "More a shame that they orphaned their li'l boys like that. They were sent off ta foster homes."

_ "Jesus…," _ Tim breathed out.

"That's terrible," you managed to get out, your heart hurting for the whole family. To think...if you were never able to play an instrument again...it would clip the only wings you have. You kind of understand why she dissolved into madness...but, at the same time...if you have  _ kids _ ...that changes things. Shouldn't she have  _ tried _ to be there for them? You would have. And you couldn't even  _ fathom _ what losing your soulmate would be like… A fate terrible beyond words...but he had  _ kids! _ Couldn't he have held out just a  _ little _ longer..? At least until the oldest graduated school so he could take care of the family? "Those poor boys…" Bo was looking at you funny again...

"Yeah...I hear they had a rough life afta."

"I can 'magine…," you all but whispered, heat gathering behind your eye and tickling the bridge of your nose. Ugh! Now was  _ not _ the time to be crying! Especially not in this dusty, musty place. It could be bad if you touched anywhere around the socket…

"Hey...that piano looks real," Tim spoke from somewhere to the left. You realized he had wandered off into a room on that side.

"Oh...ah, it is," Bo answered, breaking his intense gaze from you and peering that way as well. "There's a few things that  _ aren't _ wax. Can't make 'em from it. A workin' piano's onea those things."

"Tha's neat...hey, you think you can play some mood music, Y/N?"

"Sure," you gave a small laugh, wiping at the corner of your left eye as you hurried over. Somehow, you'd missed the little receptionist's desk on that side. But you caught a quick glimpse of it on the way over, a lamp on top of it and news clippings framed behind it. You'd have to check them out later… For the time being, you made your way to the piano and ran your fingers across the cool keys. "It's a li'l out of tune...but I kinda expected that." You sat down on the bench, marvelling at the realization that it was wax! No. No time to think about that...

"So...what'cha gonna play?" Tim mirrored your thoughts aloud.

"Something that fits tha spirit of this place…," you responded quietly, coming up with the perfect song. Melancholic and beautiful, whimsical. Mysterious. Despairing with an undertone of hope.

(  [A Beautiful Delusion](https://youtu.be/zp6OXPLxa-c) )

You put your fingers to the keys and began in a rhythmic dark tinkling that echoed through the building. Soon, you became completely absorbed in the music, in the images that came to mind. A tragic story of soulmates with a broken dream, and boys who were forgotten. Everything was painted in hues of smoke and azure with obsidian always lurking in the long plum shadows about them. Threatening to consume them. You could hear violins and a vocalist in your mind, making the melody complete.

It felt like mere minutes and hours all at once as you brought the song to a tinkling close just as delicately as it had started, but with some higher notes mixed in. Hope accompanying burden for the boys who lost everything. As your finger touched the last key with finality, you released a trembling breath and opened your eye. You weren't sure when you'd shut it, but it wasn't uncommon when you really  _ felt _ the music and put yourself into it…

"Ho-leee  _ shit," _ Bo hissed, and you startled. You blinked dazedly as he stared hard at you. It took a moment to realize...he was staring at your  _ face _ .  _ Shit! _ Your hair! Your  _ scars! _

"I-I'm sorry, I know they're not…," you trailed off, angling your head down and pulling hair back into your face on the right side. Heat exploded across your cheeks and behind your eye. What he must think of you now…

"Whoa, whoa, whoa there," Bo was at your side in an instant, his big, calloused hands on your much smaller ones. Keeping you from pulling more hair forwards. When had you started trembling..? "Don't hide yo face. Lemme see, babygirl." His thumb and forefinger settled on your chin, and you bit your bottom lip. You couldn't look. Couldn't see the disgust in his expression when he… Closing your eye, you let him lift your chin up. He was quick and careful as he brushed the hair back out of your face and behind your ear. Thick fingers traced the edges of your scarring, and hot tears trickled down your cheeks. "Don't cry darlin'...I got somebody who's gonna wanna meet you." Wait... _ what? _ Bo's fingers trailed up the smooth side of your face, wiping the tears away before doing so more carefully on the other side as you peeked your eye open at him. He looked...oddly gleeful.

"Wh-what..? Why don't you look disgusted? Who...would  _ want _ to..."

"'Cause I'm useda seein' that scar...jus not on a pretty little thing like you," he grinned, and the realization hit.

"You know my soulmate?"

"Betta," Bo barked out a laugh. "I'm his twin." Wait...WHAT?!?! You must've pulled a funny face, because he let out a full-on roll of laughter.

"Twin…but, wait...um…," you started, completely off kilter. You had  _ so many _ questions!

"C'mon," Bo grinned. "Le's go see 'im." You didn't have to be told twice! He took your hand in his and you stood, feeling a little numb and dazed, as he lead you back to the front of the museum. He opened the door, and a very tall man stood there, long dark locks cascading down around his face. No...it was a mask of some kind. There was a break, up near the top of his forehead, and you could see the difference between his actual skin and the unnatural smoothness of the mask. He froze mid-wipe of his red hands on a white towel. "Hey, Vince! Looka this! You owe me big time!" Bo pulled your hair back from the right side of your face. You flinched when he exposed it, your eye falling to Vince's beige sweater and navy apron flaked with an off white substance.

"I…I'm sorry...I…," was all you could stammer out, so used to apologizing for your scars and how unsettling you looked. For a long moment, it was tense and quiet...and then you felt a different hand on your face. It was large, but his fingers were a bit thinner and longer. Calloused, but oddly soft. It traced the edges of your scars more delicately than Bo's had, dipping into some of the curves. You shivered beneath his touch. No one besides these two and doctors had ever dared to make any sort of contact with your scars...not even Jen. She was always afraid of hurting you… 

You heard a ragged breath behind the mask, and his hand travelled down to your chin, lifting it. Slowly, somewhat reluctantly, your gaze rose to his. To your utter surprise, you didn't find any sort of revulsion there...just a sadness and understanding in his blue-green eye staring back at you. Just one. It was something of a cross between teal and fern green...maybe aquamarine was a better comparison? It was beautiful, a hint lighter than Bo's eyes...but it had darker shadows deep within. Languidly, hesitantly, you watched his other hand reach for the edge of the mask about his chin...and he pulled it away from his face with that same amount of sluggishness. Your eye widened when you found what lie beneath the mask. A face not unlike Bo's...but scarred up on the right side just like yours. An empty socket surrounded by deep etchings...and...his nose hadn't been fixed like yours had been. 

"...You're just like me," you barely hazarded the whisper, hand reaching out to caress the very edge of his scarring. He jumped at your light touch, pulling his hand back and hesitating. "My soulmate." The smile that stretched across your face was so wide it hurt, your heart pounding away in your chest. His face reddened, the man pulling away from you and replacing his mask. "My name is Y/N...and you're...Vince, right? Is that short for Vincent?"

"It is," Bo replied, the gleeful grin in his voice. You peeked back over at the talkative twin. "Vince don't talk much. Hurts 'im." Your heart hurt for Vincent as your gaze fell back on your soulmate. "It don't hurt you?"

"Sometimes," you admitted softly, attention split between the two. "I noticed our noses are a little diff'rent…" You touched the right side of your own nose gingerly. "My mom said the doctors had ta sew mine back togetha...and they had to graft skin onto it to cover these li'l holes that would've caused respr'tory problems later on. I still get infections 'n stuff easy, though...if I'm not careful."

"Wash hands b'fore touching face, got it," Bo wiped his hands off on his jumpsuit with a grimace. It felt like something was missing…

"Oh...where'd Tim get off to?" You asked, and the brothers shared a hesitant glance. Did they have telepathy? Ah, well, that didn't matter right now...unless Vince knew where he was.

"He went back to th' car," Bo supplied and you let out a sigh of both relief and exasperation. Didn't he want to see the museum?

"Okay, well, I betta go see them a minute and let 'em know what's goin' on…," you nodded, making for the door. Vincent stopped you, standing squarely in the middle so you couldn't move past him. "I'll be right back, I promise." You flashed your adorable soulmate a smile. He looked...mildly panicked. But with a face like the one you shared, you'd probably be scared to lose him, too, if the situation were reversed. You tried to move past him, but he wouldn't budge. "C'mon, now, I've gotta see…" You trailed off, peeking beyond his arm. The car was gone. "W...Where...did they…?" Your brow creased as a hint of worry and panic set in.

"I didn' wanna be the bearer of bad news, kid, but yer friends left," Bo wound an arm around your shoulders, pulling you away from the door some. "They went on wit' their little vacation without ya." Okay. Now things were getting weird...

"We...we aren't goin' on a vacation," you breathed out unsteadily. "They were takin' me up to Tennessee. Imma perform at an operahouse there."

"Fancy," Bo commented smoothly with a charismatic grin. "But your friends still left, they said…" His voice faded into the background. There was  _ no _ way they would have left you. No way at  _ all _ . Jen was too much of a mother hen, and you'd been friends for nearly your entire life! And the other two were too kind to ever do something like that… Your eyes were drawn to the white cloth partially hanging out of Vince's apron pocket. It was coated in a thick red liquid. Was that…? No. It couldn't be…? Could it..? Your vision flew up to his, and his eyes were pleading. Don't look. Don't see. Don't leave. His hand moved to cover the cloth as fear gripped your heart like a vice.

"Tim?" You yelled, ducking under Bo's arm and heading back into the museum. "This isn't funny." You strode as quickly as you could, heading left...where you saw him last. And into the next room. A wax dining table filled with wax foods lay there, with only a single wax man. "Tim?"

"What parta yo friends left do you not undastand?" Bo came up behind you, grabbing your wrist and effectively halting you in your tracks.

"They wouldn' do something' like that," you argued, trying- and failing- to pull out of his hold. "Lemme go."

"You do  _ not _ want to go that way, doll," he answered instead, making your stomach churn with nerves and fear as Vince hovered a few feet behind him.

"I've  _ gotta _ find Tim!" You insisted...your voice a bit shriller than you would've liked.

"Don' say I didn't warn ya," Bo replied grimly, releasing your wrist. You had a bad feeling about this…

"Tim?" You called, turning and pushing open the door to the kitchen. Immediately, you almost slipped in a thick red liquid. Grabbing onto a counter to keep from falling, your gaze was drawn to the middle of the floor. Where Tim lay, silent and motionless in a pool of red. Your stomach hit the floor, your heart fluttering up into your throat. There was so much of it...so much... _ blood… _ "Tim?" Your voice was so weak and shaky you barely even heard it. "Oh, God…" Something hit you hard in the back of the head, sending your vision to black as your knees buckled and collapsed. You hit something hard but warm...and then there was nothing…

**\- End Part 1 -**


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